Love Will Find a Way
by dotgirl4
Summary: It has been fifteen years since the end of the clue hunt. Amy, age 29, returns home. (I am ignoring the second, third, and fourth series.) Amian! You can also find this story on Wattpad where my username is dotgirl4. I will most likely update there sooner than here.
1. A Rainy Train Ride

**Disclaimer: I do not own the 39 Clues or any of its characters.**

It was late and Amy Cahill sat on a train, the last of many to take her home. Home, with Dan, Saladin, Nellie, and Uncle Fisk. Home, Grace's mansion rebuilt to fit their unique personalities and tastes. She couldn't wait to relax in the grand library, which had been refurbished since she had left. Amy daydreamed of the library, and Nellie's delicious cooking, her family and friends. She stared blankly out the window watching the raindrops cascade down the glass, and pelt the passing terrain.

It had been fifteen years since the end of the clue hunt, and the family business had calmed considerably. Occasionally, the Cahill kids invited Jonah, the Starlings, the Holts, and the Kabras over for a reunion of sorts. These reunions never went as planned. Most times the Kabras were unable to attend. They always promised to come and catch up, but. . . well, they were busy. She of all people could understand. She hadn't seen everyone together in thirteen years.

Amy was remembering the last complete reunion, so deep within the memory that she didn't notice the train stop. One lone passenger boarded, and the train regained its pace. She felt a gentle tap on her shoulder and was slowly and unwillingly dragged from her memory to the sight of a shadowy figure, who asked if the seat beside her was taken. At first she refused, intending to keep the aisle seat open. She never liked when strangers were so close, and she was lost in her thoughts, unguarded. As her luck would have it, all the other seats were filled, and she needed to allow the stranger to occupy the remaining seat. She moved her bags and hoped that she could ignore the world until she got to their mansion.

 **I will write more when I get the chance. Feel free to comment.**


	2. A Rundown Hotel

**Disclaimer: I do not own the 39 Clues or any of it's characters**

A few hours later there was an ear-piercing screech of brakes and a whine from the engine. The train shook and groaned. I looked out the rain-streaked window and saw a great plume of gray smoke billowing into the sky at the right side of the train. I groaned. The stranger leaned towards me, trying to peer out the window and see what had caused many passengers to sigh and groan. A man's gruff voice came over the speaker. He announced that the train would not be fixed for some time, and we would have to walk the remaining distance to the station. It was very close, only about half a mile. There was a hotel attached to the station, and we were all welcome to spend the night, free of charge, complements of the train company. I thought, "So much for ignoring the world until the mansion."

Those aboard the train slowly exited and we all made the trek through the pouring rain to the hotel. By the time we finally entered the building, all were soaking wet, and found that the station and hotel alike were in a state of disarray. They appeared to be under repair, and were currently closed to visitors. There was scaffolding lining the walls with paint cans balanced precariously upon them. The floor tiles were partially uprooted and the lights created a dim glow, flickering sporadically. Buckets were strategically placed to catch the drops of water coming from many leaking ceiling tiles. There were puddles everywhere.

The train's passengers all filed into a line at the check-in-counter, or rather, where the counter should have been. Now, however, one small desk occupied the space with a shabby notebook and smudged bell sitting upon it. Behind the counter was a tired and irritated employee. He looked upset that he had just been woken up in the middle of the night to attend to visitors they were not prepared to accommodate. Throughout this entire trip to the hotel I couldn't help but notice that the stranger managed to stay nearby. All those years in the family business, a type of ruthless scavenger hunt with my stop-at-nothing cousins, made me aware of my surroundings. His eyes scanned the room flicking back to me every now and then. I was towards the end of line standing between a few other passengers and the stranger; we had all been sitting together at the back of the train when it broke down. The stranger placed his phone back into his pocket with a disgruntled look upon his face. I decided to call Dan, Nellie, and Fiske to let them know I was going to be later than we had originally planned. There wasn't any service. _Great, now_ _they will probably think something happened, I have never been late for a reunion before._ As the line shuffled forward we passed under one of the flickering lights and I finally got my first good look at the mysterious man. He was dressed sharply in a black suit and tie, most likely on the way to or from a meeting. He had nice slicked back, jet black hair. He had a handsome face with a very pronounced jaw line. His most striking feature, oddly enough, were his soft eyes. They seemed to be out of place on his face among the jagged cheek bones, defined chin, and sharp nose. His eyes were caramel colored and seemed welcoming and caring. They were aged. I couldn't help but feel as if I could read his life in those seemingly endless circles, _if only I had the time._ The tale I got a glimpse at showed that he had gradually softened over time and may not have always been as warm. I saw that he had loved and lost on countless occasions, and that he had triumphed as well as suffered. His eyes held knowledge and were inviting, yet hypnotizing. They ebbed and flowed with the tide, drawing me in, yet rooting me in place.

I missed my family more than I ever imagined possible and longed to be home. I couldn't wait to embrace each and every one of them. Feeling lonely and with a deep longing to be with them once again, I dug a small photo out of the pocket of my carry-on. I stared at if for a long time and seemed to forget about my shabby surroundings as I remembered a day that felt like a lifetime ago. The picture was small and simple. It was a 4" x 6" of Dan and I. We were at the top of a high mountain and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. We both wore tank-tops and had backpacks strapped onto our shoulders. I had wrapped my arm around him and we were smiling. At the time he had protested, and jokingly shoved her away. Nellie had taken it on the last day of their hiking trip shortly after they completed the hunt for the thirty-nine clues. She had told us, "You're young, your spirits are high, you have achieved the impossible. Kiddos, you managed to acquire the title Kings of the world, and you're standing on top of it." Shortly after this inspirational statement Dan had mentioned the top of the world was Mount Everest, and there wasn't enough gold in the world to make him go up there ever again. We had stood there and laughed for what felt like hours. _If I had to pick a favorite memory that would be it._

The stranger was studying me quite intently now. He watched as I carefully pull the photo from among my things and unfolded it. The image caught him by surprise. He quickly wiped away the puzzled look upon his face, appalled at his lack of control over his own emotions. The line began to move forward as both the stranger and I were frozen in place, eyes intent on the photo. The stranger was jostled into me. I dropped my photo into one of the puddles accumulating on the floor. Apparently, the hotel had more leaks than buckets. The stranger picked up the picture and gingerly brushed away the water and dirt. I held her hand out for the photo, a blush rising almost imperceptibly upon my cheeks. I managed to mumble a barely audible "thank-you" without meeting the stranger's eyes.

Instead of handing me the photo I watched as the man's grip tighten upon it. I finally managed to look up confused. He looked lethal. A perfect combination of calm and angry. His eyes were no longer welcoming. Not a trace of the warmth could be found, I began to doubt that I had seen warmth residing in them in the first place. _It could have been a trick of the dim lighting_. His eyes bored into mine, sharp and piercing as daggers.

 **Please feel free to leave me a comment.**


	3. The Mysterious Stranger

**Disclaimer: I do not own the 39 Clues or any of its characters.**

Amy stood petrified. Those eyes managed to strike fear into her heart and send a chill up her spine. The man very calmly asked her who she was and why she had a picture of a couple of kids. Amy made the split second decision that the stranger didn't need to know who the picture was really of. She had learned once long ago, "Trust No One". She lied and said that she was a teacher and the picture was of a couple of her students on a field trip. Lying came naturally now, it had not always been so easy. She had had years of practice while on the run. The stranger moved a step closer, and Amy believed it was to apologize and hand back her picture. Instead, the stranger lowered his voice, and whispered in a voice so icy that it could have frozen the sun, "I'm going to give you one more chance to tell me the truth. I can't say that I will be so forgiving the next time you lie."

Startled, Amy took a staggering step backward, just as the hotel began to shake. She realized it was an earthquake and her eyes searched the room for cover. They rested upon a small table off towards the side of the lobby and she began to make a break for it. Before she could move two feet, the stranger grabbed her by the wrist and roughly pulled her against the wall. She struggled, but then she was sheltered from falling debris. She hadn't seen the picture in his hand, but decided it didn't matter that much. She would see Dan again and would just need to print off a new one when she returned home. She only hoped to survive until then. Even though they were in the middle of a natural disaster Amy couldn't help but think the earthquake would most likely be followed by another confrontation by the stranger. The thought brought her back to the present. The ceiling was still raining down on them. Her focus came upon this strange man. He sheltered her completely and it felt almost natural to be in his arms. They seemed to fit well together. She felt him become tense and wince, and knew that he had been hit, but he remained the impenetrable wall between her and the structurally unsound hotel.

The quaking stopped and slowly he released her from the small safe haven between he and the wall. The dust was settling all around. The many scaffolding pieces that had lined the walls had toppled and there was paint and water all over the floor. The stranger put his hand upon her shoulder. She thought he wished to continue the previous conversation and almost pulled away, but realized that he desperately needed her support to remain upright. She looked into his eyes and saw that some of the warmth had returned. She saw he was in deep pain, and desperately trying to hide it. She glanced down to his injured leg and saw a giant gash down the side of his right calf. There was blood and dust covering the remainder of his suit. He had endured much of the brutal earthquake and she had escaped without so much as a scratch. She adjusted his arm across her shoulders and gingerly put her arm around him to support his weight , relieving his injured leg from having to bear so much. He met her eyes, and she saw much gratitude there, even though the color was slowly draining from his face and his mouth was drawn taught in a grimace.

She glanced at the table, that she had originally chosen as her cover from the earthquake, and saw that it had not only been crushed by a light, but buried under a pile of rubble that had once been the ceiling. She was now determined to help the handsome, nosy, injured, and potentially quite dangerous stranger. He had saved her life, but she could never forget the look on his face a moment before the earthquake, where it looked as if he might just take it away. He could be ruthless and cunning. There was a great intelligence in his eyes. It was worldly knowledge and common sense, and she somehow knew that it would not have been the first time he had killed someone. But, despite this he had chosen to save her life, and she was going to help him. The building was eerily quiet and for a moment they thought no one had survived. Then, from out of a back room bustled the employee, with a first aid kit. He had managed to make it without a scratch. His eyes met the two slowly and painstakingly inching towards him, and he told them that he had already called an ambulance to help those who had survived. The stranger tensed and began to walk on his own with great effort. Once he was closer to the employee he said that he would only need a few bandages and a taxi and would be on his way. The manager looked surprised at this and handed him the kit and cleaned a space on the desk where he could sit. He gratefully took it and began to attempt to wrap his own gashing leg. The manager began to protest the taxi, saying he was clearly hurt and should be seen by a professional, but the stranger lifted his head and said very curtly and with a tone of finality, "I'm sure I will be fine. Thank you for your concern."

Amy decided that no matter how badly she wanted to be home with her family this man needed her help and she was indebted to him. She took the bandage from his hand and began to root through the first aid kit to find the supplies needed to clean his wound. _Now, if i could only find some clean water and a clean cloth_ , thought Amy. She dug through her bag; it had managed to stay practically untouched landing between two of the scaffolding bars. She found one of her unopened water bottles, twisted the cap off, and poured a little over his wound slowly. He watched her. She was focused on dressing his wound and didn't seem to notice. He surveyed her. He seemed satisfied that she had barely been hit by the dust of the earthquake, let alone any actual debris. Her reddish-brown hair cascaded over her shoulder and shielded her face. She then poured the antiseptic over his leg to clean it and keep it from becoming infected. He winced as it slowly seeped into his fresh cut. He clenched his teeth and his hand clenched the side of the table. His knuckles turned white. She then ripped a strip of the bottom of her tank-top. It had been under her sweatshirt the whole time and was as fresh as that morning when she had put it on. Amy wrapped this piece around the cloth from the first aid kit and tied it around his calf.

He refused to go to the hospital. He didn't need it, and even if he did he had somewhere more important to be. He focused on Amy. "Who are you?" he asked once again. Somehow this time more determined. She insisted she was a teacher, but her voice faltered and she wouldn't meet his eyes. He caught this to be an obvious lie once again, but decided not to press the issue while the hotel manager was there. It would be better if he could continue the matter when they were alone. Things could get messy. This woman had lied to him twice. She lied well, but not well enough to fool him. He so hoped that she could be spared, but knew that things were not always so easy. He had to remind himself that he could not let a pretty face get in the way of doing whatever it took to keep everyone safe.

Amy said she would call a taxi to take her into town, so that she could finally go home on the next train. No more delays. Once the taxi arrived she walked briskly out of the hotel. She was relieved she could leave this whole ordeal behind her, including the stranger that she hadn't been able to decipher. Before as she got into the cab his familiar voice called across the yard to her. She looked back, and saw he was hobbling to her through the fog, across the dew coated ground. He asked if it would be too much to ask for them to share the cab into town. He wanted to catch a train as soon as possible. She reluctantly agreed, fearing another conversation, of which she would not be able to escape.

The confrontation did not come. They rode the entire way into town in silence. Once at the station, the man insisted on paying for the cab. He thanked her for helping him after the earthquake and agreeing to share her ride into town. Amy said it had been a pleasure, finding that to be the easiest response. She thanked him again for saving her life, the image of the table crushed under the light all too clear in her mind. She decided to ask the stranger for his name, saying that she wanted to always remember the man who confused her, and petrified her, and had ultimately saved her life. He frowned, she realized he was deciding whether or not to tell her his name truthfully. He breathed "Ian" so quietly she wasn't entirely sure she had heard correctly. But, before she could ask again he had turned away.

 **Sorry this took so long. I will write more when I get the chance. Feel free to comment.**


	4. Another Train

**Disclaimer: I do not own the 39 Clues or any of its characters.**

Once at the station, Amy lost sight of Ian and went to get herself a ticket home. She bought food for the upcoming train ride, and changed clothes. She found that the next train going out into the country had only one seat left, and it was scheduled to depart in less than twenty minutes. She bought the ticket, thanked the ticket man, and ran to board her train. She quickly got on, and just in time too, because as she was walking down the aisle searching for her seat the train began to pull out of the station. She continued to walk down the aisle and her eyes finally rested upon her seat, the only open seat. It was next to a man dressed entirely in black, with a hat lowered over his head. At one time, she might have been nervous to sit next to a man in black, but this one almost reminded her of her Uncle Fiske, the original man in black.

She walked up to the seat and quietly asked if she could have it. She didn't really look at the man as she said this, but he must have heard her because he responded with a grunt, then moved his bag. She hastily sat down. As she sat, she was bumped by a rather large couple, with rather large bags, heading to their seats at the front of the train. Amy dropped her bags, and fell clumsily into the empty seat. She crushed her bag of chips and spilled her soda all over the man seated next to her. He jumped up when the soda and ice began to rain down upon his lap, and erupted in a suave British accent, "How could you be so clumsy?" As he stood his hat had fallen off and they both gasped in surprise, recognizing one another now. It was Ian, the man from the first train ride. Amy was always prepared and rummaged through her belongings until she found what she needed. A towel. She picked Ian's hat off of the floor and began to clean the soda off of it. She began to stutter an apology. Then, she stopped; she hadn't stuttered in years! Ian began to laugh. She turned bright red. Why did this man she had only just met, Ian, have such an effect on her. She hated that he was laughing at her clumsiness. He was harsh and cruel. Amy looked up at him, and handed his hat back. He continued laughing as they sat down. She didn't find it funny and decided to try to ignore him. Then, she looked at him and saw the humor. He had been inviting her to laugh with him, not laughing at her clumsiness. Amy felt a moment of deja vu. She was taken back to a time in the clue hunt. She and Dan were in Korea with Uncle Alistair, a boy named Ian, and a girl named Natalie. That Ian had won a race and began to laugh. At the time he had been inviting her to laugh too.

Amy looked up at this Ian. She studied his face, his clothes, his hair, his eyes. Finally, the puzzle pieces neatly clicked into place in Amy's mind. The Ian from her past, and this one sitting beside her were no different. Were they? Amy, barely able to contain her excitement and wonder whispered, "Ian". He looked at her and asked, "yes?" confused. "Ian", Amy took one long shaky breath, "Ian Kabra.", she continued. He moved farther away from her, towards the window and tilted his head to the side, now observing her in a new light. His eyebrows, which had first risen in surprise, were drawn together tightly. He seemed to decide something, and answered again, "yes." He asked, "Who are you?" he asked, remembering the photo she had had in the hotel. He was becoming more and more concerned for the family he was headed to see. They now turned in their seats to face one another. He continued to study her. She smiled, and tilted her head ever so slightly. As she did so, a few strands of hair slipped from behind her ear and cascaded down her face. Suddenly, he relaxed, and his eyebrows returned to their normal position upon his face. He no longer sat tense, like a wound spring, ready to act at any minute. His eyes sparkled once again with that same knowledge. Amy knew he knew her identity now. He leaned back and grew comfortable in his seat, closing his eyes. She smiled teasingly and asked, "Who am I?" He laughed, and lazily opened one eye, "Amy Cahill, it has been quite a long time, hasn't it?" Soon, they were laughing and chatting like old friends. The remainder of the train ride was quite short now that they had each others company to pass the time.

Ian explained he had planned on surprising them. There had been an opening in his ever-busy schedule and he remembered the reunion and the friends he hadn't seen in ages. He had attempted to remember the last reunion he had been at, but had had quite a lot of trouble. Natalie had asked him to attend this year, and to her surprise he agreed. Ian had decided to give family another chance. Amy asked what he had been doing the past several years. He leaned in close to her and whispered that he had become a private investigator, but the details of work were secret, as was his company. Keeping his business a secret was a difficult way to get clients, but made obtaining classified information easier. He then asked Amy what she did now. She proudly answered that she was recently appointed leader and coordinator of the Madrigal branch. She ran a small library on the side. Ian laughed, he knew that she would rise to the top. Amy said she had searched for a status update for each of their friends, (Ham, the twins, Sinead, Ned, Ted, Jonah, even Natalie). Finding information on them was quite easy, they had all been fairly active, but when she had searched for Ian, she found that he had become almost untraceable and had all but nearly dropped off of the radar all together. He smiled, but this particular smile was full of pain, and that pain didn't just live around the corners of his mouth, but spread all the way to his eyes. He lost all of his jovial light. Amy frowned and asked if everything was alright, or was there more to this visit than he had let on?

 **Sorry this took so long. I will write more when I get the chance. Feel free to comment.**


	5. Almost There

**Disclaimer: I do not own the 39 Clues or any of its characters.**

Ian said he was alright, but once the clue hunt had ended his family had begun to unravel. His mother, Isabel, had been arrested, and was now in prison. She was still there to Ian's surprise. The cell that she was locked in was maximum security and was guarded around the clock by insider Cahill agents. The Lucians had tried and failed many times, on the order of Vikram Kabra,(leader of the Lucian branch, Ian and Natalie's father) to break Isabel out. The guards made it impossible for anyone to visit, especially immediate family. Natalie and Ian had been disowned by Isabel, and Vikram had stood by her decision. They hadn't only lost a mother that day, but their father too.

Both had been denied access of their credit cards, memberships, along with all of the Lucian facilities and databases. They were all alone in the world. Ian finally knew what Amy and Dan had gone through for all of those years, and all because of his mother. He apologized for her actions once again, then continued with his story. Luckily, Ian had managed to slowly transfer small amounts of his funds from his account to an alternate account fearing that something like being disowned would eventually happen. Amy couldn't help but feel sympathy at this confession from Ian. She and Dan may have been all that the other had, but they had never needed to fear being disowned by their awful Aunt Beatrice.

Ian continued. By the time they had actually been disowned Ian had managed to save a small fortune. Ian bought a quaint little mansion, and he and Natalie moved in. He had found a job, and finally learned the value of hard work. Ian had started at the bottom of a company, a lowly secretary position. He had had to deal with regular people problems! He couldn't count the number of times he had been asked for directions. He had learned to tolerate when people complained about their days. His first job taught him to avoid asking people the polite, "How do you do?" For some reason everyone that he spoke to believed that he really, truthfully, wanted to know. When, in reality, he could not have cared less.

Amy sat patiently listening to all that had happened to the Kabra's since she had last seen or spoken to them. She asked why they hadn't come to she and Dan for help. Ian replied that they had agreed to keep it a secret. Kabra's did not grovel. Kabra's did not have problems. Kabra's did not need anyone else. At least, that had been one of the many Kabra lessons instilled into him when he was a child. Ian couldn't help but wonder aloud, "If you are disowned, are you still considered a Kabra, really, to the full extent of the word? Is it enough that we were born as Kabras? Natalie and I still have the last name Kabra. Right? As far as I knew, that true, but you never know with them do you?" Amy understood his reasoning and confusion; it had been the way he was raised. She repeatedly told Ian that she and Dan were there for them. Amy was there for him.

Eventually, the train coasted to a stop and they got off. They agreed to make the remainder of the trip together. As they left the station, Amy began to laugh. Ian smiled, confused, and couldn't help but to ask,"What?". Amy explained that she had been imagining Dan's face at her showing up at the house with a man, happiness to one of utter confusion. Then, she had pictured the transformation of his face when he knew it was Ian Kabra, Dan's face would express that of true horror and revulsion to be sure. Ian saw the humor now and began laughing along. He hadn't felt that great in ages.

They decided to hail a cab. When the little yellow car pulled over, Ian, being the gentleman he was, opened the door for Amy. She thanked him, then bowed her head and stepped into the car. Ian walked around to the other side and climbed in himself. The driver politely asked "Where to, folks?" Amy gave him the name of a small breakfast diner and market plaza. He seemed to know the place, and began to drive. Ian flashed Amy a confused look, but decided it best to wait until they were alone to discuss any serious matters. Amy would have her reasons for arranging for the driver to take them to a diner. The driver made small talk the entire drive, discussing the weather, politics, and any other subject that popped into his head. When they finally arrived at their destination, everything appeared to be closed. Amy opened her cab door and Ian followed suit. The driver asked if they were sure the closed and deserted plaza was where they wanted to be. They looked at each other, said yes, then paid the man with a very generous tip. If they had learned anything in the clue hunt, it was that money could do many things: divert unwanted attention, convince people to do crazy things, it could even open doors metaphorically. Now was no exception, the driver turned the car around, and as he left the dust stirred all around them. They waited until they could just barely make out the car on the horizon followed by a trail of dust.

Amy turned to face the market, and looked all around to be sure they were not being watched. She walked around to the back of the market, staying in the shadows of the building. She motioned for Ian to do the same. Behind the building they found an old beat-up car. It looked as if someone had repeatedly taken a baseball bat to it, then run it over several times with a monster truck. There were vines growing all around it, and it had a very heavy coat of rust. To the common eye it would appear to have been abandoned. Amy went up to the building and removed a brick from its wall. She found a key hidden within the brick, and returned to the car.

Ian opened the driver's door for Amy, then placed their luggage into the backseat. He walked around to the passenger seat and climbed in carefully. They traveled the short distance to the mansion, driving over dirt roads, with green rolling hills as far as the eye could see. Amy's mind seemed to clear the farther they got from the city. She began to relax and became more exited the closer they got to home.

Ian, on the other hand, grew quite nervous and tense. He blamed it on the country air, too much dirt! He knew this was actually caused by the anxiety about seeing his family again. Would they still hate him? So much had changed. Some had gotten married and started families of their own. The problem was he had no idea who. Would there be children? He felt like a stranger going to meet new people. At least he would definitely have Amy and Natalie to depend on if he needed help. He began to think about Amy, driving in the seat beside him. Other than the memories they shared and her current occupation he knew nothing about her. He should have been there to protect her over the years. Ian Kabra should have been there every step of the way. Had Amy ever been attacked in those years? Had she ever been deathly ill? Had she ever been in love? Had she ever had her heart broken? Somewhere along this train of thought Ian's eyes had moved from the window and the rolling hills and had come to rest on Amy beside him. He sighed, and leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, then slowly and peacefully drifted to sleep.

 **I will write more when I get the chance. Feel free to comment.**


	6. Home Sweet Home

**Disclaimer: I do not own the 39 Clues or any of its characters.**

*Ian's POV*

When I finally awoke we were just arriving at the Cahill mansion. The gates were open and inviting. As we neared the house Dan burst through the doorway. As Amy had predicted his facial expressions changed rapidly and he stopped dead in his tracks. Amy parked the car off to the side of the lot. I got out, and went around to open Amy's door for her. Amy gratefully took my hand as I helped her out. Then, she took off running towards Dan; they embraced in a very tight hug. Dan had grown since I had last seen him. As I watched them hug from afar, I saw that Dan was taller than Amy, and had seemed to have grown into a decently handsome young man. I was surprised to say the least, I must have been expecting the small, awkward, annoying, boy that he was during the clue hunt.

I removed our luggage from the backseat and began to carry both Amy's bags and my own to the house. Dan saw me struggling, and with a look of genuine displeasure, came to help. Dan awkwardly and silently took Amy's bags from me and led us into the house. When we were inside we sat the bags down on the floor and Dan shook my hand and said, "Now this is a surprise. I had begun to think you really had dropped off the face of the Earth. Leave it to my sister to be the one to find you and drag you home." Amy and I shared a smile and Amy began to laugh behind Dan. He turned around confused, and Amy explained, "We just kind of bumped into each other on the way here." At that Dan chuckled, "That can't be possible. Amy, you just said the other week you were going to do a status report, and were concerned that you so little data on a certain Kabra. Besides," Dan turned to face Ian once again, "Amy only came on a couple of trains, and in that beat-up old car. There is no way you would set foot in any of those things unless. . ." at this his voice trailed off. Dan seemed to have realized that I had just shown up with Amy in the rusty clunker of a car.

"Okay then, Kabra. Do you remember where your room is?" Dan asked doubtfully. I looked around and finally sheepishly said no. Dan sighed and said, "Come on." Before we left Amy noticed how uncomfortable Dan had become while I was around and asked, "Do you want me to show him to his room?" Dan took one long glance from Amy, to me, then back to Amy and replied, "No, I'll take him." He then motioned for me to follow him, and we began to climb the stairs. Dan looked exhausted. He must have really wanted to speak to Amy. She had wondered aloud that morning what could possibly have been so important and sensitive that Dan couldn't have told her when they spoke over the phone.

When they got to the top of the stairs Dan pointed down the left wing, and said, "Last door on the right." I nodded curtly and began the trek to the end of the long hallway. When I entered the room Dan had indicated was mine my first thought was _This is not my room, I may not have remembered where my room was, but I remembered the layout and size of it_. The one I had been placed in was disgustingly small. _Could it even be considered a bedroom?_ It was smaller than my servant's quarters back home. Dan had done this on purpose. I couldn't see the reasoning behind it, but my arrival seemed to have set Dan on edge. I couldn't accuse Dan of doing this on purpose. How would that look? I am back in their lives for five minutes and begin complaining? No, I would just have to make do. I took one last look around and began to unpack my belongings.

*Amy's POV*

Dan came back downstairs and he and I embraced once again. I told him I had missed him and he said he wished I came home more often. Dan had gone on to become the top Madrigal agent, and that was not out of favoritism, he really had become the best. He was my second-in-command, but he refused any real leadership. He wanted to be able to continue to complete missions and fieldwork as an agent. We walked together to the kitchen, where I found Nellie and Fiske standing, cooking dinner and chatting quietly. Nellie ran over to me when I enterec and wrapped me into a bear hug. Before he could protest, Dan was pulled into the hug as well. When they were finished I went over to Uncle Fiske and gave him a big hug as well. We talked for a while, discussing plans for the reunion. I learned that we were the first to arrive, and not many others had even bothered to respond. _A reunion like no other indeed. They don't even respond to my messages anymore. Why would they come?_

I excused myself saying I was exhausted from the trip and went upstairs to unpack. Dan followed me up the stairs to help. When we were alone in my room Dan let loose what had been on his mind. "Why is Kabra with you?" I looked at Dan, surprised, "I thought I told you already, we ran into each other on the way here." Dan frowned, unconvinced, "He couldn't have gotten his own ride here?" At this I couldn't help but laugh. "Dan, we took the last train together, then shared a cab. I didn't want him giving our address to the cab driver so I had him drop us off at the market plaza and took the emergency car the rest of the way. He slept most of the drive." Dan seemed to relax.

 _Why is he always so protective of me? When we were little he teased me when I had a crush on somebody, but now that I'm am an adult he feels the need to guard my heart?_ He never approved of any of my boyfriends after the hunt, and something about Ian had always left him feeling unsettled. Maybe it had something to do with his snobby attitude, blunt rudeness, cruelty, and depth, or, more likely it was because Ian Kabra had broken my heart, and as my first love had turned my emotions to mush, plus there was that small fact that his mother had murdered Dan and my parents. Ian's mother, Isabel, had tried to kill us quite a few too many times too. I remembered all too well the attempts with a giant propeller, poisonous reptiles and spiders, poison, and even the one time she had tried to run us over. And even though he had not been present at the time, I knew that chills still went up Dan's spine at the thought of when Isabel had tried to feed me to the sharks when I had refused her devious plan. Dan hadn't been there to help me. But Ian had. Had he done anything? Anything at all? No! The only reason I was still alive was because of our cousin Hamilton Holt. Someone, we could actually rely on. Ham had _saved_ their lives multiple times. His parents were absolutely awful, but not anywhere near as bad as Isabel, and he couldn't be blamed for the actions of the Holts. Ham was just fun to be around. Dan was actually excited about his arrival. Amy couldn't believe he had let Ian ruin his good mood if only briefly. The Holts were supposed to arrive in a few hours, Amy reminded him, "just hang in there until they get here." Amy knew Hamilton would take Dan's side on the Ian issue. She was sure he had already begun to count down the time until their arrival. With one last look worried look at me he turned and left the room. I could tell that he had so much more to say, like always we could communicate without ever saying a word.

The family was supposed to stay the weekend where we could all bond through games, food, movies, sports, and the quality time we never seemed to be able to get enough of. The doorbell rang and I heard Dan run down to the front door.

*Dan's POV*

I'm not going to lie, I was hoping it was the Holts two whole hours early, but was not disappointed to see the legendary Jonah Wizard on his doorstep. Jonah was a twenty-nine year old Janus whom, after the clue hunt, had continued his life as a world-famous celebrity. He had made what Jonah referred to as the three 'm's': movies, music, and millions. But, anytime the family needed him, he was there. Jonah had been to _every_ reunion. The most the press and his adoring fans could find out was that he would disappear without a trace occasionally, then reappear in a little less than a week. Jonah pulled me into a hug then made his way upstairs to his room. Right wing, fourth door on the left. Jonah dropped his bags on his bed then made his way over to Amy's room and knocked. "Yo, A-dawg, you in there?" Amy opened the door at the sound of Jonah's voice. "Hey, Jonah, glad you could make it." They stood in the hallway and caught up for a while. Jonah headed back to his room saying, "Man, I really need to catch me some 'z's'." Amy laughed as he walked away, and she closed her door to finish unpacking. It felt so good to have them home again.

*Amy's POV*

I slipped out of my shoes, placed them in the closet and pulled out a pair of slippers. I exhaled slowly, relaxing at last. Then, there was a giant, jolting, crash outside. _Why can't I relax in my bed for five minutes? That's all I ask._

 **Sorry this took so long. I will write more when I get the chance. Feel free to leave a comment.**


	7. And So it Begins

**Disclaimer: I do not own the 39 Clues or any of it's characters.**

I jumped off of my bed, grabbed the taser I kept on my dresser and tore down the stairs and out the front door. The second my feet hit the driveway I stopped. I couldn't help but to double over laughing at what I saw. The Holts had arrived. Their truck had broken down in the driveway, hence the explosion. Hamilton, Reagan, and Madison were standing in front of the massive truck with the hood open fanning away a thick gray smoke. Dan lay in the driveway, squirming under the weight of a massive pit bull. Arnold, the Holt's pet, had been so excited to see Dan that he had flattened him. Arnold's tail was wagging side to side wildly, and Dan was attempting to avoid being showered by lots of kisses and slobber. Ham finally noticed me in the doorway and wiped the sweat from his brow. He came over to greet me, stepping out around Dan and Arnold. Hamilton's hands were covered in grease, and he had unknowingly wiped some on his face. I greeted him just the same, barely able to contain my laughter. Madison and Reagan seemed to have fixed the vehicle and were walking over to join the happy gathering.

We chatted and laughed for a while, then went inside. Dan eventually fought Arnold off of him and followed. The Holts went and greeted Fiske and Nellie, then made their way to their rooms. Ian came down the stairs and saw me. He smiled, then asked in what he probably thought to be a playful and charming manner, "Am I mistaken in believing that the Holts have arrived, or has an entire herd of elephants just come tromping up the stairs?" My smile vanished at Ian's rudeness and obvious dislike towards the Holts. _He hasn't changed one bit. He hasn't seen them in so many years, and he won't even consider the possibility that we could all get along._ I answered coldly, "Yes, they've just arrived." My voice softened, "You really should give them a chance Ian. It's been fifteen years." Ian looked sad that I hadn't found the humor in his question; he sighed and relented. Ian glanced back at the determined look on Amy's face, and said, "Alright, Amy, I guess I could give it a try."

I laughed at the painful expression on Ian's face. _Not long now before the others arrive._ I couldn't help but be excited.

 **Please feel free to leave me a comment.**


	8. A True Reunion

**Disclaimer: I do not own the 39 Clues or any of it's characters.**

*Ian's POV*

I returned to my room, finished unpacking and was thinking about all of the ways the reunion could go horribly wrong. _It's not like I had ever bonded with any of them_. I had tried, but they hadn't really given me a chance. Come to think of it, _maybe_ I hadn't really given them a chance either. I might have chosen to avoid them all at all costs. Well, all but one. _I suppose I will just have to try._ I had promised that to Amy, hadn't I? I always make impossible promises to her. One of these days I should make one I can keep. _When will Natalie get here? then maybe I won't feel so alone._

I jumped when I heard quite the commotion downstairs. I got up and went downstairs to find the reason for all of the racket. When I entered the living room I found the Holts, Jonah, Amy, and Dan all crammed on a couch, watching TV and laughing. Even though I had entered quietly everyone's eyes seemed to turn to me as I emerged from the hallway. Hamilton laughed, then said, "Well, look what the cat dragged in! No offense, Saladin." To which that despicable cat replied with what could have been identified as a very offended "murp" from his perch on Dan's lap. Madison and Reagan took advantage of my silence, dramatically clutched the armrests and simultaneously said, "Do my eyes deceive me? Ian Kabra?" Amy laughed softly and answered for me, "Ok, guys enough. Yeah, it's Ian. He decided to come to this reunion." As she finished she looked at me, giving me a small smile of encouragement. There was a long tense silence which was eventually broken by Hamilton Holt's, "Why?"

Was it just a trick of my imagination or had he moved closer to Amy? I forced a smile and said, "Maybe I'll just -". But what I had been about to say was lost when the mansion began to shake quite violently, accompanied by a great rumbling noise. Everyone on the couch instinctively began to grab everything glass and hold it down, while I remained in the middle of the room attempting to maintain my balance.

Just as suddenly as the shaking had begun it had ended. Amy announced that the Starlings had arrived, apparently by helicopter. I was relieved at the news, we weren't under attack, _yet_. But whatever relief I had felt immediately fled when my attention returned to the group on the couch. Amy, Dan, Jonah, Madison, and Reagan had scrambled to save all of the decorations and glasses on the coffee table and end tables. Hamilton had chosen to save a rather large, and ugly vase from the small table that ran along the back of the couch. This would have been all well and good, except the vase was on the other side of Amy and Hamilton had had to reach around behind her to catch it. Everyone carefully replaced the decorations, miraculously none had been broken, but Hamilton's arm remained resting behind Amy. Ham was checking to make sure she was alright. He had taken her chin and held her face up toward the light, inspecting it for injury, drawing it quite a bit closer to him in the process. Amy laughed and said, "I'm fine Ham." Hamilton dropped his hand from Amy's chin, and his attention returned to me, and I quickly looked away.

Amy and Dan rose from the couch to go and greet their new guests. Hamilton's eyes were still trained on me as he lowered his arm back to his side. I didn't have the chance to confront Hamilton, because at that moment the Starling triplets entered the room. Ham, Reagan, Madison, Dan, and Amy gathered around them and began laughing, talking, and hugging them almost immediately. I did what I do best, remained still off to the side, in the shadows, silently watching. Once the squealing and general excitement died down Sinead seemed to notice me, leaning calmly against the fireplace mantle. She nudged Amy then leaned in and whispered something in Amy's ear. Amy laughed, glanced at Ian, and turning slightly red leaned in to Sinead and whispered something in response. _That girl never fails to peak my curiosity._ I made a mental note to ask Amy what Sinead had said. Sinead's eyes widened aa she stared at me, realization settling in on her face.

"You" she whispered so quietly it wasn't more than an exhalation, but all present could hear it crystal clear and could note that it was filled with mixed emotions. For a moment, all was still, then Sinead rushed over to me, slapped me across the face, and then embraced me in a hug, before anyone, even a highly-trained Lucian, like myself, could react. I pried Sinead off and was about to question her reaction at seeing me, but was again interrupted. This time by the chime of the doorbell. Amy and Dan went and opened the door, and as they opened the door the space became occupied by my sister. She truly was a welcome sight. "The last to arrive this time, Nat," Amy said cheerfully, as she pulled my overdressed sister into a hug. Natalie flashed her pearly white teeth and hugged first Amy then Dan, much to my surprise. _When had they become so chummy?_ She chatted sweetly with Amy and snapped her fingers for the butler to bring her things to the door. He obliged then drove the limo out of sight.

Natalie turned to Dan and asked, "Would you be so kind, Daniel, as to carry my belongings up to my room?" Dan's smile fell, and he cried, "Absolutely not! Not again!" But one more glance at Natalie told him that either he carried her things up to her room, or they remained in the foyer for the entire weekend. Much to my surprise he changed his mind, grabbed some of her bags and sighed. Natalie smiled, "Thank you, Daniel. There should be just a few more outside." Dan turned to face her and said, "Natalie you're doing this on purpose now. I try being a gentleman one time, and every reunion since I have ended up carrying your luggage. This really is the last time." And with that he turned and strode up the stairs weighed down by Natalie's luggage.

When Amy was sure Dan was out of earshot she asked, "Hasn't he been saying that for the past five years?" Everyone nodded and laughed. Natalie turned to Amy and checking that Dan was still upstairs pulled her aside and hurriedly asked, "Did you find any more information on Ian? I'm really starting to worry. He hasn't returned any of my calls or emails. The last I spoke to him was a few months ago. I know we are Lucians, and . . . and he can take care of himself, but . . . I don't know. I hate that I never know where he is, or how he is. I'm not even sure I know who he is anymore. The old Ian would never have done anything like this; he always checked up on me. Now its the other way around, and I feel like I'm pulling teeth to get a response. The last I spoke to him I asked if he would try to make this reunion, but like I said no news." She turned her attention to the whole lot of them, "Sorry, I told you all I would try, but he probably won't show up." At this last bit she glanced around at all of the intent faces she seemed to have become genuinely fond of.

It seemed as if she were about to continue, but I couldn't stand in my place listening to her distress a moment longer. I very loudly cleared my throat, and stepping out from my place in the shadows said, "Well, I'm glad you have such faith in me Natalie." Natalie's head whipped around at the sound of my voice as she tried to identify where it had originated. Everyone parted, and there I stood, face to face with Natalie for the first time in months. She froze, "Ian?", she mouthed, as if my being there was some trick of the lighting. Then, she too rushed over to greet me, wrapping me into a hug. She realized that hugging was very un-Kabra-like, and immediately withdrew herself. She then straightened her shirt, and skirt, fixed her hair and said, "Hello." in her normal detached tone. But, I didn't miss the joy or the tears in her eyes. In that moment, seeing that I had caused her to become so uncharacteristically undone, I vowed that I would never let her worry about me like that again. Maybe Amy was right, maybe I could start fresh.

 **Please feel free to leave me a comment.**


	9. Codes and Cogs

**Disclaimer: I do not own the 39 Clues or any of it's characters.**

Dan stomped down the stairs after carrying all of Natalie's bags to her room. He was surprised to see everyone was still standing around talking in the foyer. Ian and Natalie were talking secretively off to the side. _Up to no good, I bet,_ Dan thought. The Holts were talking with Sinead; Ned and Ted with Jonah, and Amy seemed to have disappeared, again.

*Amy's POV*

After talking with Natalie for a while I realized all she really wanted to do was talk with Ian in private. The others seemed to be entertaining themselves fairly well. I noticed I wasn't really needed here, and excused myself politely and then went to find Fiske. It was time to report. _All the Cahills have arrived. I haven't been able to say those words for a very long time._ This will truly be a reunion like no other. I knocked on Fiske's door, waited for his calm but firm voice to say "enter", and then slowly opened the door and made my way to his desk. I may be the head of the Madrigal branch, but Fiske, even though he is almost entirely untraceable, remains at the top of the system. He is so secret that most agents in our branch don't even know that he is still alive, let alone an active agent. He was hiding from the system for years, long before Dan and I had met him, or even known that he existed.

Fiske always coordinated the reunions. He knew how to get us to bond. There were always games, movies and outings, but he also planned very Cahill things. Under special circumstances reunions had become extended or the warehouses put on lockdown. If the family moles, those loyal to Isabel Kabra, learned the entire younger generation was in one place they could all be in grave danger. They were after all the ones that had found and assembled the 39 clues, and then, joined forces, foiled her plans, and ultimately landed her in jail.

As I walked out of Fiske's office I knew I had made the correct decision. The safe houses were prepped, guards encompassed the perimeter and were stationed on the rooftops. There was top of the line surveillance at the main entrances. No one could get into the house without my 'okay'.

Fiske had listened carefully to all of my orders over a video call via our secure satellite network. He had nodded, turned to his desk, faced the wall, fiddled with a few knobs, then entered the codes into the system conveying my message. "Yellow, not black, the seeds are planted." Only those with the highest clearances, those with the most thorough and intense background checks received the message. I wasn't worried. If the message was intercepted it was encoded, and entirely indecipherable.

I changed the codes constantly and randomly. They were on a strict need-to-know basis, and only those that had earned my trust, respect, and loyalty needed to know. Not even the cousins bonding downstairs had the codes. My people, the cogs, were there to obey my orders. I make sure they are prepped before every assignment and are properly trained. I hand pick them all from the Cahill data bases, some don't even known they are Cahills, and I train each one personally.

One important thing about being a leader is to recognize the strengths of those under your command. I pulled those with the most promise, at least one from each branch to be fair. The Ekats design and build all of our latest technology and weaponry. The Lucians created the poisons and did all of the research. They could trace a cold and dead trail better than any bloodhound. The Janus designed the layout of the grounds, constantly altering the escape routes and updating the best places to hide my soldiers and the weaponry. And of course, the Thomas, are the muscle men. They are the bodyguards. My favorite though, is my team of sharpshooters. One from each branch. It was reassuring to know they were stationed on the roof right now. They hardly ever left the top three floors of the mansion.

I keep track of their work. I keep track of their lives. Any suspicious activity and I have to let them go from the inner circle. They never suspected a thing. They were slowly backed out with similarly difficult missions, but with less importance. A smile crept on my face. _Now_ is the time to be with family. No more worrying. I did my part. I planned ahead. We are prepared.

 _Let the kickback kickoff weekend begin._

 **Please feel free to leave me a comment.**


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